Baseball pitching target



Aug @y r1938. R. A. FOWLER 2,H26,102

BASEBALL PITCHING TARGET Filed June 18, 1936 1,17 ver? :14 oE/e T A -Fo WLM w www wm ormgg PatentedY Aug. j9, 1933 Liza@ ATENT 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a baseball pitching target or game device.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved device which may be used to train baseball pitchers in accurate delivery of the ball, and which may be used as a game device or for other purposes. i

It is a further object of my invention to provi-de a target which deiines a plurality of open areas through which a ball is to be thrown and to construct the target of flexible and yieldable members which will prevent damaging the ball when struck, by yielding under the imlpact, and' which will preserve and maintain the original shape of the target.

It is further an object of my invention to provide a exible target device deiining open areas `and having means for supporting and tightening the target to hold it in a taut condition and in the desired position. Y

Further objects and advantages oi my improvements will be more readily apparent 'from the 'iollowing description of a kpreferred embodiment thereof taken in connection with the attached drawing, in Which- Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the pitching target and cage therefor;

Fig. 2 is a detail enlarged section showing the internal construction of the target; and

so Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic View which illustrates the change in shape of the target as it is pulled taut.

The target may be mounted in any desired manner, and I have illustrated a pipe frame lil which is formed into a cage for trapping the balls by the p-rovision of netting l2. The front of the cage is open between the uprights lll and the upper and lower crossbars l@ and i8. The target 2U is mounted vertically in this open space.

The target is essentially rectangular in shape having a top 22, bottom 24 and side members 26. Although the target may be made in various sizes it preferably denes an area equivalent tothat in which so-called strikes would be called, and is therefore as wide as the width of the usual homeplate and as high as the distance between the knees and shoulder of an average man, for eX- ample, about 1l inches by S6 inches. The four members 28 are connected to each other and to the midpoints of the sides 2li to deiine an approximate square having its diagonals disposed vertically and horizontally. The upper and lower corners of the square are connected by members 3i ,.-F and 32 respectively to the midpoints of the top and bottom members 22 and 24. A

The upper corner points 34 of the rectangle are connected by the diagonal members 36 to the frame Il] andthe lower corners 38 are similarly (Cl. 2mn-26) connected by members Liil having adjustable turnbuckles 42 to the frame l.

The rectangular target is therefore divided into live open areas or spaces including the central square 54, the inside and outside upper corners 45 and d8 and the inside and outside lower corner portions El! and 52. Thus an high inside ball would be thrown through the area 156 for a right hand batter. Of course, it will be understood that the different areas may be designated by any suitable terms.

As shown in Fig. 2, the target is made up of flexible chain 5d covered with yieldable rubber tubing 56. Any other suitable material that will provide considerable strength and yet be flexible and yieldable could be used.

By tightening the turnbuckles l2 the target is made taut. In order to draw the members 23, iii! and 32`taut at the same time, it is preferable to initially make the top and bottom members 22 and 2d slightly longer than theoretically required, whereby as the corners 3l! are pulled out ible target supported within said frame and composed of rubber-covered chain members forming an approximate rectangle divided by cross mem- 'bers to dei-"me a plurality of openings through which the ball may be thrown, one of said openings being in the shape of a square in the center of the target, two diagonally opposite corners of which are joined to the vertical sides of the target, and tension members diagonally disposed at the corners of said target and connected to the rigid frame, at least two `of said tension members being adjustable to make the target taut.

2. A baseball pitching device comprising avertically disposed rigid rectangular frame,- a target supported within said frame and composed of iiexible members forming an approximate rectangle divided by cross members to define a plurality of openings through which the ball may be thrown, one oi said openings being in the shape of a square in the center of the target, two diagonally opposite corners of which are joined to the vertical side of the target, and the other corners of which are connected by spacing members to the center of the top and bottom sides of the rectangular target, and tension members diagonally disposed at the corners of said target and conrnected to the rigid frame, at least two of said tension members being adjustable to make the target taut.

n ROBERT A. FOWLER. 

